


Fragments of a World

by nyasuishi (nyanshi)



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-25 00:03:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 2,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17110643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyanshi/pseuds/nyasuishi
Summary: A collection of drabbles and ficlets.





	1. ‹duty›

When Kurogane was growing up he had always imagined himself honourable like his father. He had imagined himself dutiful like his mother. He had imagined his life with love and with someone to share his happiness.

As Kurogane grew up, he pledged his loyalty to a princess. He found camaraderie with the fellow royal guards. He had love from his family and his friends, and he was happy.

Then the years passed and Kurogane found himself once again dwelling on romantic love. He had always imagined that it would just slot into his life like a puzzle piece - snug, tight and welcomed. Then he met an idiot.

They would always meet in the most random places during the most unusual times, and this annoyed Kurogane to no end. Somehow, the idiot always knew how best to irritate him. Kurogane would have given his lifetime of wages to be rid of the other. So he would say. And by the time he had stopped lying to himself it was too late.

Kurogane had never imagined that duty would be so heavy, or that love be a burden.

In hindsight, meeting the idiot on the battlefield had been inevitable; his only surprise is when Fai speaks.

“Goodbye Kurogane,” he whispers, soft like Kurogane’s cuirass.


	2. ‹wishful thinking›

Sometimes, Kurogane dreaded Tomoyo’s requests; they tended fall into the “fix something here” or “buy something there” categories. Lately it had been a whole lot of the “buy something there” requests. Which might have been fine, if “there” didn’t happen to be the popular new patisserie on Celes Avenue.

It was a very nice place, but no thank you, Kurogane would attest.

Or, so he would try but, Tomoyo had a way with words and Kurogane really just wanted her to be happy. And that was how he found himself outside the vanilla-scented establishment for the fifth time in two weeks.

The problem with this particular store wasn’t the queue (which was rather long during peak hours), or the distance (twenty minutes up the steepest hill in town). It was the employees. They were nice enough- or rather that was the problem… they were _too_ friendly.

Kurogane was hardly self-conscious about how he appeared to others but even he knew that he was one of the rarer types to enter- tall, scowly, grumpy demeanour and all. Normal store clerks usually left him to do his own thing, which Kurogane appreciated. Now the employees of _this_ particular-

“Why if it isn’t Mr. Kuro-chan!”

Kurogane groaned internally. It was _this. Idiotic owner._ Just wishful thinking that the blond would be out one of these days… or so he told himself.


	3. ‹hard liquor›

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A vampire walks into a bar.

Fai missed being drunk.

Well, he didn’t miss the hangovers. Or the blank frames in his memory. And he definitely didn’t miss stories of the embarrassing antics he was supposedly partial to. (Okay, maybe he missed them a little - but he didn’t need to be drunk for that.)

To be precise, Fai missed the freedom and exhilaration of acting without inhibitions. He missed not having to care about what others thought of him. And he missed being able to forget the past which hung heavy like a cloud.

Fai hated the taste of blood - or maybe he hated the brand he was buying, not that there was much choice in that department. He sighed into his strawberry daiquiri.

-

_Vampirism had still been a relatively new topic in Supra when Fai was exposed. The first recorded occurrences had left doctors baffled._

_But it had been left largely as a temporary blight, nothing serious, almost certainly non-lethal; there were always more serious (profitable) cases to consider._

_Until the day when a man had been found dead by the river. The witness had recounted a woman kneeling, face bloody, eyes wild; she had run when their eyes met._

_And, just as suddenly, the affliction had been making all the headlines; just as fast, there had been an instant rush of resources poured into finding a cure._

_Excitement had stirred in the stagnant markets at creating the Supra's newest drug hit. Researchers, profiteers and victims alike had eyed the future hungrily. But soon enough funds had dried up so, with no leads and dwindling potential profits, the pharmaceuticals cut their losses. All but one._

_Daidouji Pharma. Older than the records when Supra closed their gates and left Inferius in darkness. Rumoured to hold connections to the unsavoury likes of Inferius._

_Another apt description would have been: Fai’s employer._

[ **Symptoms** : Malnutrition, fatigue, increased aggression. **Cause** : Inconclusive. **Notes** : Cravings for meat; bloody.]

_Daidouji had been calling for volunteers. Sakura would have jumped at the chance had Fai not hidden the notice from her._

-

_And the days had continued, their research disappointingly fruitless._

_Sakura had fretted and Fai, well, Fai himself had never been a philanthropist and, truthfully, he could care less about finding a cure for the mysterious infection. He knew how devastating the effects could be, he had seen people he knew suffering in silence._

_He could have cared less._

_But that wasn’t true. Or rather, it had ceased to be true when, one rainy day, sweet, loveable Sakura had arrived, eyes wet with tears._

_That time it had been, “_ Syaoran-kun. _”_

_Her hands had trembled. Sadness had never been made for such a young happy pair as they. It was hopeless and Fai had never been much good at comforting people. So, he had volunteered._

-

T _he group had been small, experience had proved that the larger parties had been ineffective, too suspicious. But even so, having so few researchers meant progress was slow, if not non-existent._

_The days had passed in a blur. Fai hoped Sakura and the boy were doing well. And that had been his last conscious thought._

_They had been ambushed and when Fai woke, it was as_ vampire _._

-

_Then somehow, in those messy days to follow, they had managed to devise a suppressant for the symptoms and had even made headway into reversing the condition. Their findings were published and, though there was the predictable backlash to the concept of drinking blood, Daidouji Pharma gained clearance to produce and sell synthetic blood._

_Which, Fai would attest, tasted terrible._

-

And to return to his dilemma at hand, the alcohol was doing nothing for his mood.

The bartender, Kurogane (not Kuro-tan, Kuro-chan, or Kuro-rin-rin), on the other hand… smelled _divine_. Fai could almost imagine the taste on his tongue… Sharp and spiced, thick and warm down his throat.

Just the thought of Kurogane’s blood felt like he had downed one too many shots. It made his skin tingle and warmth pool below.

Fai didn’t miss being drunk.


	4. ‹tempered›

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fai buys a sword.

Kurogane stared at the gift. In another lifetime he might have scorned the blade for its weakness. As it was, the answer was simple.

-

_It had been mesmerising, the hues of tempered steel. They ranged from the familiar grey-silvers to pale yellow-golds, icy blues and vivid teals._

_He had initially been drawn by the unexpected whisper of magic, soft and melodic like waves. It had been so gentle, so insistent that Fai had paused mid-step. He had felt his breath catch and heart flutter._

So beautiful…

_Its hilt was fashioned in the likeness of waves, encrusted with seafoam jewels. The pommel was inlaid with mother-of-pearl phoenix engravings. And the blade (oh the blade!) was perfect. A violent yet tranquil stormscape in dark and bright colours, crafted so prettily and skilfully that the skies appeared in motion. It glimmered and shimmered in magnificence._

_And whilst a bladesmith might be tempted to remark on how such a sword could only possibly be purely decorative, well, what could a mere bladesmith know of magic._

_Fai_ knew _magic. And so Fai could see that this sword was made not thirsting for blood, but as a talisman._

_He bought it._

_-_

“Thank you.”


	5. ‹unfrozen›

Always smiling, the idiot was never for lack of a smile.

Kurogane’s first thought had been of _ice_.

His eyes were cold and they were dark.

Even though on that rainy day, Kurogane had told himself that he didn’t care, not about the kid, not about the princess, not about the smiling mage.

It had been true, for the first world. And the next. And the ones after that. But then, somewhere along the way, the idiot began to waver; had let the warmth of their makeshift family thaw his heart. And now he lies broken and dying. Heart still frozen, dying.

But he survives; Kurogane makes sure of this. Forces the other to take in his heated lifeblood and holds him as he writhes in agony. Kurogane watches and he waits. And he sees the mage wake, smiling.

His gaze burns.

“Good morning, _Kurogane_.”


	6. ‹fracture›

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of ‹fracture and ruin›

Yuui had liked the world past the gate. It had been bright and warm and everything had been so very new and strange. Strange but good. So he had thought.

It had been so dazzling that he hadn’t realised that it was actually _barren_. He hadn’t noticed stepping over the first time, hadn’t noticed the third. He hadn’t noticed Fai’s grimace, nor his own unease. Or maybe he had just chosen not to. Truthfully, Fai had also reassured him, having said that the shadows were simply weak and that the air was thin, though maybe he should have known better. Then he might have realised that the other world had been lacking in _magic_.

And as time passed, they stopped their excursions to the world past the gate, or rather, Fai had stopped.

Yuui had found that it was quite different going alone. Sometime he would feel a sense of something… _pulling_. Sometimes he’d get hungry; those times, he would return home. One time he had gotten lost and strayed from the usual shaded alcoves.

Then, it had gotten dark and he had wandered into a clearing illuminated by moonlight. He had met a girl. _Tomoyo_ , she had said, smiling sweetly. She had pointed, back to the way he had come. Follow the moon, Tomoyo had whispered. And so he did.

-

That had been the last time. It had been the last because then, the cracks had started to appear.

-

There was something wrong with their father. They were warned not to leave the palace. The gate was closed. Magic had began to stagnate in the air and, where it was at its thickest, the veil to the waking world started fracturing.

Fai left to stop the fissures.

Something else returned. Something ravenous and magic-starved. And the miasma-like thickness that magic had become, was too much. He could only watch and cry. Then their father began the massacres and he cried more.

He watched as their people fled. He couldn’t stop his them. Not them, not their father and not the fate of the barren world.

Yuui ran.

-

And Yuui keeps running, the moon is in sight.

He almost doesn’t see the swish of a katana. But, he does and he dodges.

“ _Hyuu_ , I’ve heard of you Kuro-rin.”  
“And _you_ are?”  
“ _Fai_.”


	7. ‹ruin›

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of ‹fracture and ruin›

It’s a small makeshift base at the back of a convenience store. They’ve boarded up the only window and barricaded the door. Kurogane sits with his back against the wall, an eye on both potential entry points. He’s on guard and it’s easy to notice Fai’s not-so-stealthy movements.

“Fai.” Kurogane’s gaze is scrutinising, and, caught, Fai pauses.

“ _Kurogane_.”

“Don’t.”

“So serious, Kuro-pu,” he says, teasing but, the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

Kurogane’s face hardens.

Neither looks away. It’s a deadlock and the seconds stretch like light across an infinitely dark, infinitely endless universe.

Then, Kurogane shifts, softens, “How long has it been?”

Fai stands, brushing at imaginary dirt, and he smiles.

“Kuro-chan, if you keep frowning all the time, it’ll set like that!”

“Hey.”

“Why hello to you too.”

“Fai.”

“Kuro-pon.”

“…”

“Kuro-tan, don’t look at me like that! Kuro-rin is always so demanding!”

“ _Fai_.”

Fai sighs, “How long since what? If we’re talking about the beginning of the end of this world… maybe two or three, no, probably five years ago.”

_-_

_Fai was right._

_Five years ago, he had been there to see it happen and he had been unable to do anything to stop it. Even as Ashura had gone mad. He hadn’t been able to kill his father and take his mantle. So he ran. And, without a gatekeeper, fissures began to appear. From the fissures, vampires had been able to cross from the shadows into the waking realm._

_It had crumbled and ended as people,_ hope _, had died. Fai had continued to run. And run. And run, until he had been caught._

-

“Though obviously it wasn’t really even the end. Hunters, like you, started appearing and slowly but surely vampires started to be culled.”

“…”

“They’ll be here soon”

“You don’t have to go.”

“I know.” he smiles sadly before adding, “Kuro-sama… Sometimes, I hear him you know.”

A few steps, it’s just a few steps away. But it’s so far away.

He knows though. He’s not sure when Kurogane changed, when he stopped hating. He’s not sure when his own self changed and he stopped running. _That’s a lie - he’s running now_. It’s strange though; Kurogane’s voice, his words, is almost as if he’s pleading. But Kurogane doesn’t plead. Not to Fai. Not to a vampire. But…

“I love you.”

And, _oh_. _Ah_. It’s that; it’s that warmth. Kurogane _loves him_. And Fai, “I know.”

_-_

Kurogane watches as Fai, the vampire, no, Kurogane watches as Fai, _his lover_ , leaves.

The room is empty as the door closes.


	8. ‹cold steel›

_As children, they had always been warned not to go wandering past the town borders. Never to leave without an iron blessing. The barrier could only stretch so far and his mother had only shook her head sadly. But eventually curiosity and need began to outweigh the warnings and Kurogane began to secretly sneak away during the night. He returned with various herbs and flora only found in the alcoves of the crystal grove. Kurogane was sure his parents knew; his mother would give that fond, yet exasperated, sigh and his father would laugh, tousling his hair._

_But the barrier started getting weaker and they said his mother wouldn’t last. His father and the town guard began to patrol the area and he was forbidden to leave on his not-so-secret excursions. It was frustrating; the medicine was running out. And maybe that was the reason that, on that moonlit night, his father had turned away as Kurogane had approached the border. Or maybe not because, when he returned, it was to a burning town. The crackling of fire filled his ears, and he rushed past scorched house after scorched house, until he reached his own. It was blackened and ashy and he needed to give the herbs to his mother. But they were gone and he must have dropped his satchel as he was running but, where was_ Mother _?_ Father _?_

-

The tracks are fresh, signs of a temporary nest and disruption to the surrounding underbrush. It’s silent and the foul smell of black ichor hangs like a poison miasma. Kurogane feels the urge to cough despite his mask. It really is much too quiet and instinct is telling him to turn back. Turn back and leave the demon to bleed out. His sword had pierced the core; it wouldn’t be able to regenerate but, the image of a burning town lurks.

Kurogane pushes forward, deeper into the grove, until the tracks seem to disappear. He should have kept a closer eye on his surroundings, maybe he should have kept his iron blessings. Something is creeping towards him, feather-light and teasing. Kurogane turns, sword drawn. He points it at the wisp.

“That’s cold Kurogane Hunter. Cold-forged, but not iron? You _do_ know that only cold iron burns Fae?”  
“Steel cuts better.”  
“Not Fae it doesn’t.”  
“I’m not hunting Fae. You should leave before that changes.”  
“Kuro-san is so, so cold. Aren’t you at all curious, of _me_? Of what we are to be?”


	9. ‹pursuit›

_“Witch, I hear you can grant wishes.”_

_“For this one, the price will be your most important thing.”_

” _Save him.”_

-

_Wait, stop-!_

Fai wakes panicked. His ears are buzzing and he can never remember his dreams but there’s always the remnant fear of losing something. There’s a hazy feeling of something, or someone, missing but he’s not sure if he’s chasing them or if it’s him that is being chased. It feels important.

He remembers reading somewhere that dreams are a manifestation of the subconscious but… Fai can’t remember ever needing to run from anything or towards something. He eats, sleeps, works, pays the bills, rinse and repeat. Nothing much has changed since… since before he can remember and he’s hardly living badly. If anything, life is simple, uneventful, and surely his dreams should be too.

Then, one day, on his return from work he passes a building that he’s never seen before. It must be new since he’s walked this path everyday for such a long time. It’s a quiet area of the neighbourhood though and, in his dazed routine, it could just be that he’s never noticed it. It’s curious and Fai can feel an unmistakable pull to this place that he’s never seen which, on a closer glance, seems to be a shop of sorts.

He can feel the pump of adrenaline, the beginnings of a headache and something at the edge of his memory.

But he tells himself, _not today_.


End file.
